Sasho Cirovski
The Terrapins men’s soccer team still recalls its 4-3 double-overtime win at UMBC last fall.
The Terps remember the record crowd packing the grassy hill inside Retriever Soccer Park. They remember their late lead evaporating in the final seven minutes of play. They remember embracing midfielder John Stertzer moments after he headed home the game winner in the 104th minute.
And while the Terps are 363 days removed from that night in Catonsville, and the game’s two leading scorers — Terps forward Casey Townsend (three goals) and UMBC defender Sean Rothe (two goals) — are gone, last year’s matchup still resonates with a team preparing for tonight’s rematch at Ludwig Field.
“It’s certainly in the back of my mind,” defender Taylor Kemp said Sunday. “I remember it was a tough game last year.”
The No. 4 Terps resemble the squad that nearly lost its first matchup with the Retrievers in 11 years: They’re undefeated through the early part of their schedule, are ranked in the top five of the NSCAA Top-25 poll and possess a humming offense and a stingy team defense.
In fact, even UMBC is in a similar place. A strong defense has countered a low-scoring offense, helping the team go undefeated through its first four games.
But this time, the Terps (3-0-1) are even more wary of a Retrievers program that has only made two NCAA Tournament appearances.
“We had a heck of a match with them last year. They made a tremendous comeback and could have walked away with a victory last year,” coach Sasho Cirovski said Saturday. “We know they can beat anybody on a given day.”
That deference to opponents is something the Terps plan to take through their entire schedule. Three of their first four games featured a ranked opponent, and the fourth was receiving top-25 votes at the beginning of the season. So a mid-major opponent like UMBC is the perfect recipe for a letdown.
“I think UMBC earned our respect last year,” Cirovski said. “We had respect for them before, but they proved they’re a quality team. That was a fun game.”
UMBC enters tonight’s matchup on the heels of a 1-0 win at Mount St. Mary’s on Friday night. Forward Pete Caringi has been the Retrievers’ most reliable scoring option so far, tallying three of the team’s four goals this season. In goal, Phil Saunders has posted two shutouts and allowed two goals through the team’s first four games.
The Terps notched a 4-0 win at No. 24 Boston College on Friday night, and have scored at least two goals in every game this season. Even sloppy conditions haven’t slowed the Terps’ attack, as inclement weather has been a factor in three of their four games.
“We just approach it like we have every game,” Kemp said. “We go out there and try to do all the little things right and try to focus on the process and not necessarily the result. Typically, if we all tune in and are working hard and have a good week of training leading up to it, then it’ll pay dividends for us in the game.”
Like they do every year, the Terps aim to capture a national title. Any stumble could prove costly down the road, especially one to a member of the America East Conference.
The Terps realize that. Especially after narrowly surviving the Retrievers a year ago.
“For the players that were here last year, I’m sure it’ll be on the back of our minds as we play them,” Kemp said. “Like I said, we just try to take it as a new game every year.”
dgallen@umdbk.com
